Achievments and Applications of Contemporary Informatics, Mathematics and Physics - AACIMP 2006

General Information

Ukrainian visa for entering is required for citizens of most countries. Visas are issued by Ukrainian Consulates (see the list of Ukrainian Consulates here). Unfortunately, it is impossible to obtain Ukrainian visa in airports or Customs' Offices on the border, therefore visa has to be taken care of in advance.

There are several types of visas; visa holds information on type, term of validity and usually reflects your itinerary in, which is based on application and visa supporting documents you provide the Consulate with.

Visas are not required for citizens of the following countries:

Poland
Czech Republic
Slovak Republic
Former USSR countries

TRANSIT VISA (VF)
Transit visas are issued provided your passport has valid visa for the next country on your itinerary, or if visa to that country is not required then tickets for transportation via to the country of your destination are to be presented. Transit visa does not allow its holder to stay in ; it is supposed that travel through to the country of destination can not exceed 5 days for one or several entries. Transit visas are expedient when is a transit country of your travel itinerary. Transit visa can not be extended on the territory of Ukraine.

PRIVATE VISA (VP)
Private visa is for home stay visits; it is issued basing on original invitation from residents of in the applicant's name by local "Visas Permits and Passports Department" office (OVIR). Please note that invitations are to be in original and that the Consulates do not accept e-mail or fax copies.

According the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the dated 5th of May, 2000, invitation letters are not required for citizens of European Community countries and for applying for the following types of Ukrainian visas: business, service, science, cultural, private. However, original application form is still required and it requests address, name of inviting organization/company/person and places of stay in.

Private visa holder is authorized for stay on the territory of Ukraine up to 180 days.

This type of visa is good if you are going to visit your relatives or acquaintances. Please make sure that you have enough time to wait for the invitation that is to be mailed from (Ukrainian post system is not very efficient and reliable) and those who invite you have time and willingness to go through local OVIR invitation issuing routine.

Private Ukrainian visa can be extended on the territory of Ukraine provided serious reasons (such as marriage, illness, etc.) are stated by the inviting party in their visa extension supporting documents which are to be authorized by a local OVIR.

BUSINESS VISA (VB)
Business visa is for business visits to Ukraine and is issued basing on invitation of a legal business registered in Ukraine according Ukrainian regulations and a copy of State Registration Certificate of this company. The majority of Consulates accept fax copies of these documents.

Business visa holders are authorized for stay in up to one year. Term of visa validity depends on purpose of a visit. Visa supporting documents for long-term business visas should have serious business motivation.

Long-term business visas may require Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine authorization; it is to be processed in Kiev and takes 7-10 working days.

Business visa is expedient if you have business affiliate in, and/or you need to make frequent and long-term visits.

Business visa can be extended on the territory of Ukraine upon request of inviting party, which is to be applied to a local OVIR office.

TOURIST VISA (VT)
Tourist visa is for visiting with purpose of tourism.

Tourist visa holder is authorized for staying in up to 180 days for one or two entries.

Tourist visa is issued basing on invitation from travel agency and hotel vouchers confirming hotel reservations. Vouchers might be substituted by hotel confirmations produced by hotels. The majority of Consulates accept fax copies of these documents. Tourism agency must be authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine for producing visa-supporting documents; each authorized agency has an MFA reference number.

Tourist visa can be extended on the territory of Ukraine. Some Ukrainian Consulates (e.g. in USA) issue tourist visas valid for 6 months, no matter what term is given in the application form and visa-supporting documents.

Tourist visa is the easiest in terms of collecting visa-supporting documents and Consulate processing.

You can obtain visa for entering in the Ukrainian Embassies and Consulates around the World.

The following documents are usually required to be applied for Ukrainian visa:

Valid travel passport
Filled in original application form (copies are not accepted)
One photo 35 X 45 mm size
Visa-supporting documents (these documents are different for each type of visa)
Consular fee

Before applying for visa make a call to the Consulate to make sure the following:

Are fax copies of visa-supporting documents for chosen type of visa accepted in the Consulate?
Usually fax copies of visa-support for tourist and business visa are accepted, though some Consulates require originals. As for private visa, the invitation has to be in original according Ukrainian visa regulations.
How long does it take to process the visa you have chosen?
Consulates usually have different processing times for each type of visa.
What fees does the Consulate charge?
Amounts are different for each country, some Consulates charge two fees - one Consular fee and another processing fee. When application is sent by mail it is very important to pay the fees in full - otherwise you will have to start the routine from the very beginning.
What are working days and hours?
Important if you will be visiting the Consulate in person. Find out if documents are accepted by mail. If you do not live in the city where the Consulate is located it might save you a round trip. If documents are accepted by mail find out how you can obtain original application form - most probably it will be mailed to you provided you mail to the Consulate a prepaid envelope with your address.

Standard term for visa processing is 10 working days. Term may depend on the Consulate and visa type.

If necessary, visa-processing term may be shortened to 2-3 days; quick visa processing usually costs 2 times more.

Consular fees vary from 40 to 150 US$ and depend on the Consulate, visa-processing term and type of visa.

Transit visas are produced within 1-2 working days.

Please note that only working days are counted - Consulates do not work on Saturday and Sunday and celebrate all Ukrainian Holidays and Holidays of the country they are located in.

OVIR passport registration is required for visits to those cities where you stay 3 and more days.

For tourist visa holders this requirement is met automatically - most hotels will register your passport in process of hotel registration. It is better to check a hotel stamp in your passport before you leave a hotel; if it is not there - ask a hotel to put a registration stamp into your passport or insert a special card notifying your registration with this hotel.

If you intend to visit the Crimea, it is very important to have it in your visa as well as register your passport there.

Business and private visa holders have to get their passports registered in a local OVIR. Please ask your inviting party to make the registration for you. Please, note the routine may turn out to be very time consuming.

No passport registration may cause problems when leaving.

Business and private visas can be extended on the territory of Ukraine in a local OVIR office, processing term is 3-5 working days. OVIR fee is up to 20 US$. Business visa is the easiest to extend.

However, make your best to plan your trip in Ukraine so that you would not have to extend your visa - paying visits to OVIR offices is not the best way to spend time in Ukraine.

Note: this information is not official and we won’t be held responsible for the accuracy of information.